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Abstract

A. V. Galder & E. J. Gann Bethel University, St. Paul, MN

Purpose: Finding a way to decrease recovery time among competitive athletes is highly sought after. A slower recovery time can lead to decreased performance in the weight room or in competition. The use of cryotherapy among athletes has been established as a discipline which is believed to have recovery benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cryotherapy post resistance training, in order to determine whether or not there is significant data to support a decrease in acute recovery time. Methods: Nine functionally capable men were recruited as participants from the Bethel University Varsity Baseball team. The subjects participated in their team’s one hour long exercise protocol four times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) over a two week period. The exercise protocols were designed by Bethel University’s Strength and Conditioning Coach. Subjects completed 16 OmniScale surveys over the two week period; eight immediately following each exercise protocol, and eight on each subsequent morning. The Omniscale measures rate of perceived exertion (RPE), which is the psychological component of how much work each subject perceives they can perform. The participants completed a 10 minute ice bath (temperature range 33-40 degrees F) upon completion of their OmniScale survey following the exercise protocol. Results: Paired sample t-tests using SPSS software showed a significant difference (p-value < .05) in the RPE’s for the subjects when they completed the cryotherapy compared to those that did not (pre-test cryotherapy mean 2.72±0.82 SD, post-test no cryotherapy mean 4.28±1.07 SD; p=.00004). Conclusion: The data indicates that the subjects felt more recovered and ready to either work out or practice the next day if they took an ice bath following their previous work out. This supports a physiological or psychological component to the use of cryotherapy after a workout. Further research would be necessary to support this conclusion.